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My wife and I are planning a trip to Las Vegas in a month or two. We'd head out from Albany on the LSL then the Southwest Chief to Kingman and use the bus connection to Las Vegas. We plan to spend 2-3 days there then do it all in reverse to get home. We haven't been on the Southwest Chief before so that will be fun. Any tips or heads-up about the bus connection on the Las Vegas end?
Thanks, Dave
Posts: 73 | From: Unity, NH | Registered: Aug 2000
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Mr. Burden, I once learned that the "bus" is an eight passenger van, with luggage strapped atop the roof. The service is provided by an independent operator who does so without any kind of subsidy from Amtrak.
Now if a KNG transfer is outside of waking hours, Amtrak also offers Thruway service from LA, where the transport is an otherwise scheduled Greyhound that makes a "runby" of LAUS. However, you would not arrive at The Meadows until about 4PM. But that might not be all that bad, as hotels are not obliged to have your room ready until about that time. To me when traveling, nothing "beats " arriving somewhere without a room ready to go (really, on my trip to Miami last week, I was just as glad the flight down was 2hr late, as I did not otherwise have to address sitting out in the lobby "homeless").
Now what could be a compromise would be taking the Chief to San Bernardino, and from there bus or maybe rent. You'd be "on your own" so far as a bus goes, as that would not be a Thruway and its implication of a guaranteed connection.
Checking the Amtrak schedule, it shows #3, Chief, arriving SNB 532A. Checking Greyhound's schedule, there is #6002 leaving 930A and making two stops (Victorville and Barstow, both of which the Chief passes through) to Vegas getting there 2PM or thereabouts.
Oh and finally, wouldn't it be "rail traveler's paradise" if the Desert Wind were to be restored? But all here know that is a "never happen" as politicians have found other ways to buy votes (not necessarily more cost effective) from their constituents with our $$$.
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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While I wouldn't really advocate arriving in Victorville at 4am or thereabouts to wait for the first Greyhound to Vegas, it does have the slight advantage of the Greyhound/bus and train station all being in the same building. Intermodal transit! Whoddathunkit in podunk Victorville?
Barstow, on the other hand, is a good 2 mile walk at even darker o'clock to get to the "Barstow Station" (gift shops and fast food restaurants where many buses provide a rest stop).
-------------------- Geoff M. Posts: 2426 | From: Apple Valley, CA | Registered: Sep 2000
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The KNG-Las Vegas connection is how the web site routes us there so I assume it is a guaranteed connection, even if it isn't a real Greyhound bus. Of course, it does dump us at the LV airport at 3am or so, but we can deal with that. Not sure we want to hop off at some other station and have to pay for a bus on our own (using Rewards for this trip). Luggage won't be a problem either since we travel fairly light with just a backpack each.
I guess a more pointed question is, does the bus/van at KNG pick up right at the train station or do we need to cross town somehow to catch it?
Thanks, Dave
Posts: 73 | From: Unity, NH | Registered: Aug 2000
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Mr. Burden, should you choose to do as I would do (and unlike another member around here) and rent, Hertz's Downtown San Bernardino office has 730A-6P hours Wkdy, 9-12 Sat, but "never on Sunday". If arriving and departing away from the Weekend, that should be a "doable", then you are your own boss (of course, that would be more $$$ than the Bow-Wow, but last time I checked, valet parking in Vegas is for tips).
Possibly other auto rental outlets, Enterprise being "the people's choice" around here, might have more favorable hours, but then, I only see Enterprise when someone else thinks it's time to give my buggy a little "bang bang" and Mr. Farm is ponying up.
Finally, regarding your immediate post, if you are traveling Coach, I guess it matters not when you are rousted, but I'll bet it will matter a lot to have a hotel room ready to go on arrival. However if Sleeper, I'd sure want to have uninterrupted snooze for which I'm paying plenty. Also, I think it very safe to assume the van is right there at the Kingman station.
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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We've gone ahead and booked the trip - ALB-CHI-KNG-LVT and then the reverse for the trip home. Looks like the bus/van connection on the Las Vegas end will be okay. We'll have a roomette for all the rail portions. Between CHI and KNG we'll be on the lower level which is the first time for us in a roomette. We had the family room when we took the Coast Starlight back in 2000.
Thanks for your comments and I'll report back after the trip (another 6 weeks).
Dave
Posts: 73 | From: Unity, NH | Registered: Aug 2000
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